Television is moving to the internet at an unbelievable speed. People can usually find whatever they want to watch online easier than they can on linear broadcast TV. This fast move is why streaming TV services have grown in popularity over the last several years. People watch whatever they want for less than they pay for cable television.
To view content on services like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and HBO Now, you need to pay a monthly subscription. On the other hand, there are also completely free online TV services. Pluto TV is among the more popular ones. The platform offers an On-Demand service with a plethora of movies, shows, and even live TV. For a free service, it has a lot of great content, and it’s 100% legal.
However, finding your shows or movies on Pluto TV is an entirely different matter. Pluto mimics old-fashioned TV in that there isn’t a genuine search option. The platform is available on a wide array of supported devices that we’ll list below. But, to make it easier for you to find something to watch, we’ll first jump into how Pluto TV works with finding content.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at this service and explain the alternative ways you can “kind of” search Pluto since it doesn’t offer “actual” search functionality.
Option 1: Visit the Channel List to Search Through Pluto TV
One of the best methods to search Pluto TV is to understand which number is associated with your favorite channel. Check out the Pluto TV Channel List to locate the content you’re interested in. 
Option 2: Browse by On-Demand Category to Search Through Pluto TV
Pluto may not feature an available search option, but it does have categories to help you narrow down the selection. In fact, they have an immense amount of categories, not just Action, Comedy, and Sitcoms, for instance.
You’ll find Discovery, Animal Planet, TLC, ’90s Throwback, ’80s Rewind, Rugged Reality, Lively Place, Military Movies, Cars, Classic Rock, Christmas Movies, and numerous other drilled-down categories within the On Demand section.
Option 3: Browse by Live Category/Genre to Search Through Pluto TV
Pluto TV offers live feeds and On-Demand content. Fortunately, you can search for shows and movies using the menu to the left. To begin, click Live TV at the top of the screen. Then, follow these steps to find the content you’d like to watch:
- On the left-hand side of the web browser, within the Live section, you’ll see your genres and categories. You can use this area to find Comedy, Sitcoms, New Movies, etc.
- Click on the genres to narrow down your search or scroll through the TV Guide just like Basic Cable to see what’s playing.
Keep in mind that all of Pluto TV’s content is organized by genre. It isn’t alphabetical and can’t be tweaked or searched any other way. As stated previously, Pluto TV is an excellent source of free media, so even without a genuine search option, it’s definitely worth the extra effort.
Option 4: Use the Watch List Feature to Search Through Pluto TV
To help search for something to watch in the future, you can use the Watch List feature. You may need to register for an account, which only requires an email address and a password. The account is 100% Free. As briefly mentioned before, the account feature doesn’t have many benefits, but you can use it to customize/create a personal watchlist.
- Browse through both live and on-demand sections. Whenever you find a movie or TV series you like, click on it to open a window with information about the title.
- There should be a + icon at the bottom. We found this feature only works on the Android Pluto app, but it may also work on iOS. The Watch List appears as the first sliding row in the On Demand section.
When using a browser on a Windows PC, the Watch List is not included, but Pluto features a Continue Watching section.
Option 5: Use Google to Search Through Pluto TV
- You can easily find what you want to watch, channel, or otherwise by Googling the title and clicking on All watch options located on the right side of the screen.
- Simply click on the Watch option, and you’ll be taken to the website, Pluto TV, in this case.
Frequently Asked Questions
We have the answers to more of your questions about Pluto TV in this section.
What is Pluto TV, and how is it different than cable TV or Netflix?
Pluto TV is a free online TV service. It manages to stay free due to the ads it shows, which might annoy some users, but these ads are still much shorter and appear less frequently than they do on broadcast TV.
The main difference between Pluto and the likes of Netflix and Hulu is that it is not focused on watching specific shows but rather on channel surfing.
The service is different than cable television because it is 100% free, but it doesn’t offer as many channels, and it has no actual search option—only categories to browse.
Can I get local news with Pluto TV?
No, local tv stations seem to be an issue for many cord-cutting services. Pluto TV is no exception.
Do I have to create an account?
No, Pluto TV offers the content without asking for any personal information or payment info. Simply download the app or go to the website and start watching. Pluto did have an account registration with basic info like your email and name, but the small number of features it carried (rather pointless) were removed. You can still register your email, but there is no benefit as of current. However, Pluto is planning on future changes, which could allow personalization like favorites, etc. Only time will tell.
Is there a Pluto channel list somewhere?
Yes, Pluto TV updates its channel list regularly. You can view the current Pluto channel list (https://plutotvreview.com/pluto-tv-channels-list-complete/) anytime.
Why should I use Pluto TV?
All in all, Pluto TV is great for cord-cutters who miss the ritual of watching linear cable TV. Pluto TV will grant you the same experience while allowing you to save money along the way. It actually offers a lot of great content from popular channels.
Do you love old TV? Then yes, Pluto TV is definitely worth it, but it offers a lot of new content too. If you’d like more information on the value of Pluto TV, check out our Pluto TV review (https://www.techjunkie.com/pluto-tv-review-is-it-worth-it/).
Can I favorite channels on Pluto TV?
Yes! When you find one or two channels where you regularly find content you like, you can favorite the channel to make it easier to find later. All you need to do is access the playback menu while watching a show, then click the heart icon at the bottom.
Do you have any other helpful ways to search for shows/channels on Pluto TV? Please feel free to share them in the comment section below.
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11 thoughts on “How to Search Through Pluto TV”
– Google the title you want to watch.
– Below the description of the show or movie, click on “Watch.”
– If it’s available on Pluto Tv, then it will show up on the drop-down list.
– To the right, click on “Watch Now” and you should be taken to the app or website and it should start playing automatically.
I’m not sure if it’s the same across all devices (which I’m assuming it is because it’s Google…), but I use this method on my Apple devices and 3 laptops (Lenovo, Toshiba, and Chromebook).
I also do this when I don’t want to do a lot of scrolling on streaming apps or taking a long time searching more than one streaming app. It’s not perfect, but if the app is listed on the drop-down list, then it’s likely available. I’ve only come across a handful of titles that showed being available and then finding out it’s not. However, I found out each one had just been taken off within a couple of days before I made the search.